Beyond Appearances
by JKPopListenerS
Summary: The events take place in our present, in Konoha - Year 2014, where Uchiha CEO's son, Itachi, and Sakura meet under not so normal circumstances. But what happens when Sakura and her brother Ren, remain without their father? This is story is IN PROGRESS.
1. Ch1 - One's Company

Now Now. Here's my third story on FFnet :D...I just had this idea that I wanted to put on paper as soon as possible. Have a nice reading. Those of you who read it please Review :)

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_**Chapter 1 - One's Company**_

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**Year 2014 - Konoha**

The CEO's son was in his office watching over some files that his father passed him a day ago. Uchiha Itachi had long dark raven hair tied in a low pony-tail behind his back. Wearing a black suit, he untied his neck-tie as it was strangling him. He didn't bother to look at the door when someone knocked on it.

"Enter." he said only that knowing that it was his little brother, Sasuke.

"You aren't finished yet?" his brother asked.

"Just a little bit." Itachi replied.

"You're overworking yourself again, brother. Take it slower, or mother is going to rip my head off if she sees you like this." Itachi gave him a second of glare and afterwards he went back to his files.

"By the way. Have you got father's mail?" Sasuke asked his brother.

"Mail? What mail?" he had his mail opened on his computer but didn't bother to check it.

"One week from now during evening we have a meeting with Harunos. You heard about them right?"

"Hn. I heard some things." Itachi replied. "But you don't need to worry over that."

"I heard it's gonna be about some kind of partnership. Between father and their CEO." Itachi looked at him. "Hm...Father didn't tell me anything about this." Sasuke didn't know what to say. "Wanna go grab something to eat? I supposed you haven't eaten anything since morning and this way I could tell you what I heard." He made this suggestion and Itachi agreed as he knew that he wouldn't be able to continue his work on hunger. So he admited and left with Sasuke. It didn't take much time until they arrived at the company's restaurant.

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Sasuke glanced around as if he was looking for someone. Then he called the waitress and ordered their food.

"I will have the usual. What about you brother?" he asked his elder brother.

"Same as you. So continue with your news." As Sasuke kept telling him what he "heard", Itachi spotted a girl entering the building. Itachi had to admit that she was beautiful as she had a long pink hair that was barely reaching her waist. But what he saw was her green-emerald like eyes that were glittering with happiness when she was chatting with a blonde blue-eyed girl. He supposed she was her friend.

"What are you looking at?" Sasuke asked seeing his brother eyeing something behind him.

"So...finally you're interested in something more than your work? And moreover, a girl." He glanced again behind him eyeing the two girls. The blonde one caught his eyes stood and whispered something to the other one. Itachi kept looking at the pink-haired girl as she slapped her friend's hand. The blue-eyed girl pouted as she sat again in her seat. However her friend wouldn't turn around and so the boys couldn't watch orders arrived and they ate in quiet. Itachi and Sasuke, after, forgot about the girls and didn't pay attention anymore only to their food. The girls drank a cup of juice each, when a man went to their table and they stood to leave.

"You didn't even look at them, Sakura. They are pretty decent men." being curious Sakura listened to Ino and turned around to check the restaurant. It didn't take long until she met the eyes of Itachi as he was done eating.

"He trully is gorgeous." thought Sakura to herself.

"She is beautiful." told Itachi to himself. He didn't stop staring at her only when he saw her leave with her friend and the supposed man.

"We are ready to leave, girls." The man was actually Sakura's father and he attended a meating, while the girls were taking a look around the building.

"Alright, father. We also finished checking the building." she smiled at him and the three of them left the building.

Later, that night Itachi and Sasuke went to a night caffe to relax. After a day like that Itachi felt the need to relax his muscles and also his mind. All the time after he ate, he overworked himself as to catch up with the files for tomorrow's meeting. After all his father did tell him through e-mail though, that they would have an important meeting the next day. Wonderful, is what Itachi thought about that.

"What do you want to drink?" Sasuke asked him as he was looking over the menu with drinks that he knew much too well.

"I'll just have 1 shot of whisky and afterwards I'm on my way home. You?" he replied to his little brother.

"I think I will have the same as you. So...You won't be coming home?" Sasuke asked Itachi looking at his drink that just got served.

"I thought I already made myself understood. Mother should stop bothering you regarding this problem." replied Itachi looking at the barman thanking him for the drink. "Thanks."

"Yea, you know her. She is still hoping. But still...what are you gonna do from now? As I know you still don't have a girlfriend and mother is already expecting nephews from you." he chuckled at his brother as he glared at him back.

"Meh. There's no one I found to even attract me. Not even a little bit." said Itachi somehow remembering the pink-haired girl from the restaurant. He shook his head as if to shoo away the image.

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"Alright, ladies and gentlemen. For the people here I have one 1 question quiz for you. Are you ready?" Itachi checked the caffe room to see if anyone from there would engage in that quiz. He was somehow amazed to see that about 20 people raised their hands for the expected quiz. He just raised an eyebrow.

"Hm...interesting." he mumbled to himself.

"I really wonder what kind of quiz he is playing. I bet that half of people here won't know the answer. Heh, waste of time." said Sasuke as he was watching the man presenting. He didn't have more than 17 years. He was just a prick.

"Here's the question. It hisses but it's not a bug, It has water but it's not a lake, though if you ask and you want it, even from beak will give you drink it." he finished the question. Noww he was waiting for answers.

"This one is hard huh?" said Sasuke looking at Itachi who of course already knew the answer. But as always he didn't bother to show his genius nature. Itachi just waited for someone to answer but for about 5 minutes or so, nobody knew the answer.

"The tea-pot." A girl's voice answered. Everyone looked behind to see who answered.

"Ne-Nee-chan..." the host whispered but the the heard him despite the noise.

"Oh, isn't she..." Sasuke tried to find his words to describe the girl. He already knew she was the one at the restaurant in the afternoon and the same one that Itachi was looking at. She was having her hair let down freely and was wearing a black wavy knee-length dress. It was covered with lace all over except the arms as the dress was sleeveless. Her black heals were matching her dress and the small lace around her neck. Itachi described in his mind as a dark angel. Not a devil, but an angel.

"What is she doing here?" Itachi wondered.

"I finally found you dear brother." she glared at the host which sent a shiver on his spine. "Why don't you come over here a little bit, to talk?" she said smiling to him. But her brother already knew what was gonna happen. He feared her.

"I-I'm sorry, nee-chan. I was just fooling around." he said when they were finally by themselves outside.

"You'd better tell that to father. I'm not the one you should apologise to." she replied to him.

"No. He's gonna lock me in my room again for not listening to him." he mummbled.

"Ren. He's just gonna give you a lesson on how you should be a better man. And stop fooling around at night caffes. You don't want someone specifically to find out right?" she smiled at him again. "Not that smile again..." thought Ren.

"Don't worry. I'm not gonna say anything to him. But you will, tomorrow. Alright?" said Sakura. "Now let's go inside or you're gonna catch a cold. We can stay tonight as tomorrow I don't have anything to do."

"Alright, nee-chan. And I'm sorry." he said again before opening the door to her.

"Tonight, you're treating me to one drink. As payback." she gave him a smirk. "Hey, just because you're 5 years older than me, that doesn't give you the right to abuse me like that."

"You wanna go home now?" she smiled again at him.

"Aw. Geez. Fine, but only one. I'm short on money tonight." they took a seat at the counter and Ren ordered. "What do you want to drink?"

"Gin it's fine. You know I am weak with alcohol." she said looking around the caffe room. Then she spotted the two men that she saw only for a bit at the restaurant. Itachi rose his eyes and looked at her. Sakura being kinda shy averted her eyes and looked at her drink.

"By the way, nee-chan, how did you know the answer to my riddle?" asked Ren glancing at her. "Oh who the hell I am talking to...Of course Sakura would always know everything." he mumbled to himself.

"So...Sakura." thought Itachi. He kept glancing at her and Ren caught him.

"By the way, someone is watching you." whispered Ren to his sister.

"I already know. I saw him today at the company's restaurant. Father..." she finished her gin and when she was about to leave someone stopped her with a grab on her upper arm.

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"Sakura? Is that you?" a womanly voice said from behind her. She turned around to see a beautiful dark haired woman. She was wearing a white straight thigh-length dress which she found it pretty vulgar. Sakura glanced at the woman who just stopped her but she couldn't recognise her. But she did seem familiar, though Sakura couldn't figure out from where.

"Don't tell me you don't remember me anymore..."

"Kurenai? What are you doing here?" Sasuke said from behind the tall woman. "I thought you were gone in USA."

"I just came back. And though why not relax a bit? So I remembered about this place and assumed I might find you here. And it seems I was right."

"Kurenai? Hm...AH !" burst Sakura. "You can't be...Kurenai Yuhi right?"

"Right in person. How have you been dear? How is your mother?" Kurenai asked and saw Sakura and red look at each other for a short while. "She died 5 years ago."

"Oh...I'm sorry to hear about that. My condolences." Kurenai and Sakura seemed to have forgoten about Sasuke who interupted them.

"Thank you." Sakura smiled at Kurenai, but Itachi figured that it wasn't one from the earlier events. It was a sad one.

"Ah. How could I forget my manners? This boy here must be your little brother. If I remember corectly, it was Ren right?" she assumed.

"Yes. Nice to meet you. But how do you know my sister?" he asked questioning her.

"Ah. I almost forgot about you Sasuke. By the way Sakura, meet Uchiha Sasuke. The second son of Uchiha Group. Sasuke meet Haruno Sakura and Haruno Ren, Sakura's little brother. But you don't know each other?" asked Kurenai.

"No. This is the first time I met him." said Sakura smiling at Sasuke. "But where is your brother Sasuke? That Itachi must be here with you. I didn't greet him yet." chuckled Kurenai.

"He's drinking his whisky. By the way, nice to meet you Sakura-san, Ren-san."

Meanwhile Kurenai was trying to get Itachi to meet Sakura and Ren but he used the excuse of being tired. Though it didn't take long until he gave up and came to meet the two people. If he thought that Sakura was pretty from afar now he found out he was wrong. She was even more beautiful from close too. Just like his previous thought, dark angel.

"Ok. This guy here is Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke's older brother and the inheritor of Uchiha's Company. Itachi, she is Sakura

Haruno and her little brother Ren Haruno. Sakura has been my colleague in college. Actually she was the one that got the top score on all subjects being leveled and awarded as the youngest bussiness woman. If I remember corectly you're now 22 right Sakura?"

"I will be 22 next week. And nice to meet you Uchiha-san. It's a pleasure on my behalf to meet the heirs of Uchiha Group."said Sakura while smiling and blushing at the same time.

"Nice to meet you Haruno-san. Both of you." Itachi smiled and couldn't avoid staring in her green-emerald eyes that were somehow drawing him to her. Sakura averted her eyes and kicked with her elbow her brother's stomach.

"Ah. Nice to meet you two too." said Ren trying to push his pain at the back of his mind. "That hurt, nee-chan." he whispered to Sakura. Also Sakura could not stop shoving away Itachi's image from her mind when he smiled at her.

"Ah, now that I think about it are you the daughter of Haruno Kizashi? You know Itachi, the person that father wants to partner with." wondered Sasuke." Yes. He is our father. But what partnership are you talking about? He never told me anything about it."

"We just found out today too. Hm, what are they planning?" Itachi mumbled.

"So Sakura, what are you're plans now? After you finished college and so...are you planning on inheriting your father's work?" all of them took a seat at the counter and began to talk. Kurenai was the one who asked.

"No thank you. I have no intention of going into business." Sakura replied while looking at her drink that just came, though she didn't feel like drinking anymore.

"Why not? If it's like Kurenai said, just a few years and you could be able to surpass your father." said Sasuke.

"Surpass father? Sakura nee-chan..." Ren was about to say something but he got another strike in his stomach which brought back the previous pain.

"No. Now we'll have to excuse ourselves as we have to get home in time for Ren has school tomorrow." She smiled and stood and her phone rang. It took a while for her to find it and when she did, the number on the screen was not known to her by any means. So she answered. Itachi looked at her as she was answering the phone.

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**Ok. The first chapter is here. ^ A new theme, all events taking place in 2014, the present . Hope you like it. :D...Please Review and Comment :)**

_Your dear, Fae_


	2. Ch2 - A phone ringing

**Chapter 2 - A phone ringing**

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"Hello?" she said.

"Hello. Is this an acquaintance of hm...Haruno Kizashi?" the voice from the other side said. Sakura looked with fear at Ren and Itachi saw that.

"Sakura Haruno here. I am his daughter. Let me go out so I can hear you better." Sakura made a sign to Ren and she pulled him after her. "Just a second." she said on the phone. Itachi also rose from his seat and followed the two of them.

"Stay here." he said to the other two people at their counter. So he got out of the caffe and finally found the pink-haired girl and her brother.

"Alright. I am outside. Is something wrong madam?" Sakura asked scared.

"I am from Konoha Great Hospital. Your father just had an accident." Sakura's put the other hand on her mouth and tears began to swell in her eyes. "An...accident?" as soon as Itachi saw and heard her he was just by her side as she was about to fall anytime.

"He's not stable and we don't think he is going to last any longer. If you could come here that would be for the best."

"What happened?" asked Ren when she saw Sakura go all white.

"Father...is...he had an accident." said Sakura slowly. Ren took the phone from her hand when he saw that her sister was not the taking the news good at all. Itachi was trying to confort Sakura was she was still shocked and speechless. "We-We have... to get at the hospital, now !" that is the only thing she said.

"Where is he at?" asked Itachi.

"K-Konoha Great Hospital." she whispered.

"I can take you there. Come with me." he was still helping Sakura stand as he drove them to his car. Itachi opened the front door for her to enter. Afterwards he put his seatbelt on and started to drive towards the hospital. Silence. Sakura was praying for her father to be alright. She couldn't let her fall down now. She had to be strong. For both her father and Ren.

"Please be well." she kept saying with her eyes closed as Itachi was driving. Before arriving he called Sasuke and told him what happened. As he closed his phone they arrived at the hospital. If Itachi hadn't been there to support Sakura when she got out the car she would have tripped and hurt herself. She climbed the stairs of the hospital and finally arrived at reception when a nurse passed by and she asked her about her father.

As the nurse was checking her list she sighed lowly. When she looked at the three of them Sakura didn't want to believe her. The nurse shook her head. Sakura understood the sign as this happened to her before, when her mother died. She didn't drop a tear then and not even now. She was just scared. Scared of what was going to happen to them. Ren though didn't want to believe her also, not until he saw her father.

"Take us to him please. We want to see him." the nurse took them to the morgue. Itachi was also speechless as he didn't know how to behave with the two brothers. He was just there for them. He never lost anyone so he didn't know how it felt. He looked at the pink-haired girl whose eyes betrayed everything but emotions. They followed the nurse as she was leading to the morgue. When they arrived there she slowly picked the white sheet on his body for Sakura to identify him.

There he was, Haruno Kizashi laying on the hospital table ready to be done authopsy. Sakura was still the same, however her brother was crying like a small child. But she couldn't do the same. She couldn't cry however much she wanted to. She realised she had to stay strong for her brother. Sakura turned around to leave when her brother yelled at her. "Are you really not going to say anything? Where are you going?"

"He's dead Ren. There's nothing we can do." Itachi watched as she was keeping her composture strong.

"Is she an idiot or what?" Itachi wondered.

"Now I am going to talk to the Hospital's Head. Um, Uchiha-san thank you for your presence here. It helped a lot, but now you can return to your own problems. We're going to make it on our own from here onwards." said Sakura as if dismissing him just like a servant. Itachi got out of the morgue following her until he eventually reached her.

"Oi. What do you think you are you doing? Your father just died and you behave as if it's an easy matter."

"Thank you for your concern, Uchiha-san but like I said, from now on we're going to manage on our own. Please leave us alone." she said turning at him and smiling. But Itachi knew it was a fake smile. So he just went back at the morgue and helped Ren get out from there. After all he was still just a kid. "She really doesn't get that her brother is aching? Is she really that cold towards her father's death?" thought Itachi to himself.

"Hey are you alright? Haruno-san." he spoke to Ren.

"No. But I will be. I cannot let my sister down. Also what i told her was just foolish. Nee-chan loved our father very much and I know she is hurt. But she is only trying to be strong for my sake. I know that since she did the same thing when mother died." said Ren wiping his tears.

"What do you mean?" asked Itachi.

"Sakura nee-chan has been a mother and a sister to me since mother died. I was only 12 when Sakura was only 17 and she had to take care of me. At least that's what she's been doing until now. Everything for my sake. Now I have to return the favor and be strong too." he replied back.

"Are you sure you can mangage on your own?" he asked again.

"Yes." with this answer Itachi left Ren with the nurse and went out of the hospital room. He found his way to the car and stopped. "What is she going to do from now?" he glanced one more at the hospital and left the location towards his finished talking to the Hospital's Head called Tsunade who was also gonna talk to the police regarding this matter. Sakura felt she was losing her strength and finally decided to get Ren and go home. She found him outside of the hospital looking at the dark sky. Not even one star could be seen.

"Ren." Sakura called his name and he turned around to face her with red eyes. "Let's go home." she said looking at him.

"I'm done solving the problems here. At least for now."

"Nee-chan..." Ren tried to say something and ran to her. He couldn't hold back his tears so he just cried in her hug.

"Don't worry. We'll be fine. We have to stay strong, alright Ren? For our parents. From now on it's just the two of us. I will take care of you like father and mother did." she said conforting him.

"Yes. Let's go home, Sakura nee-chan." replied Ren.

Three days later the funeral took place. There were not a lot of people as Sakura didn't want something big. She remembered about what her father thought about fancy things like those. He didn't like it. Sakura was wearing a black straight dress and Ren a black suit. Their father always wanted to see them elengant like that. The few people that were there were some distant relatives, but they never really cared about their family. Also Ino and her family was there.

Sakura didn't notice at first but, before the funeral ended there were 3 more people present and she knew very well who they were as just 3 days ago she was with them when Sakura heard about her father's accident. Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Sasuke and Yuhi Kurenai. Kurenai was also a very good distant friend of her. And Sakura was happy she was there. As for the Uchiha's brothers she didn't know what to believe. They didn't know eachother that well. In fact they didn't know at all. They just had a first meeting. Sakura nodded at the three of them as thanks for being there and they understood that.

As for Itachi, the entire time he just watched her in silence not knowing if he should approach her during the funeral or not. She wanted to look strong on the outside but she wasn't. In fact she was just a woman that just lost her youth by having to take care of her little brother and solve other problems. She was just a woman.

A few minutes later the funeral ended and everyone except Sakura and Itachi, left the graveyard. She just stood there looking at the names written on the marble. "Here lies Haruno Mebuki and Haruno Kizashi..." whispered Sakura. Itachi wanted to get close to her and confort her but something was stopping him. He somehow knew she didn't need him to butt in there. After all he was just a stranger to her. And he hated that.

"Sakura..." a woman voice said from behind her.

"Aunt Miko..." replied Sakura.

"I'm sorry for your father's death. He was a good person." Sakura became suspicious of her from the moment she called her. "If you need anything...you can ask for help."

"Thank you aunt, but we're fine. We can manage on our own." replied Sakura.

"What are you going to do with Ren and the company? You're too young to go into business and after all this tragedy..."

"Heh..." Itachi mumbled. "So-called relatives that their only reason is money."

"I will take care of Ren. I am 22 already. As for the company I will solve it by myself. There's no need to intervene aunt. Like I said we can manage on our own." saying these Sakura turned around and left her aunt by herself. "She's smart..." thought Itachi.

"Damn it." sworn her aunt after Sakura left. And Itachi hearing her, he chuckled.

"Itachi, let's go." Sasuke's voice could be heard and he left the graveyard too.

Two days passed since the funeral and Sakura was worn out already. Finally the company's problems regarding some work that her father couldn't finish were solved. Now she had time to think about what she was going to do from now on. What they were going to do. And she decided. This decision was going to change her entire life.

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**And this is the end of chapter 2 :(. Pretty sad. Comment please.**


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